The Masquerade
by Thalisirwen
Summary: Willow is on her own at a masked ball, when someone askes her for a dance...


Title: The Masquerade  
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse, everyone and everything in it belong to Joss and the big guys at Mutant Enemy. I own nothing except my imagination.  
Timing: In between seasons four and five  
Summary: Willow is at a masked ball...'nuff said.  
Notes: * * = emphasis, // \\ = thought.  
Authors note: I know, this is terrible! But I was bored and needed something to amuse me  
  
Willow leaned back in the chair, heaving a sigh of boredom. She had been at the masked ball for almost two hours now, and still her friends hadn't turned up. Tara had gone back to the dorm, muttering something about 'feeling ill'. The redhead frowned beneath her green sequin-encrusted mask. //'Feeling ill.' Yeah right. She'd rather be on her own than here with me\\   
So here she was, sitting at the edge of the dance floor feeling very much alone. Everyone was having a good time. The room was packed with dancing couples wearing fancy masks and period-style clothing. Willow smiled faintly. It was like a step back in time. The students of UC Sunnydale were surprisingly interested in an old-fashioned masked ball //Well, this is the hellmouth\\ Even more intriguing was how everyone managed to get a costume. She looked around the room. Where were the other scoobies? //Huh, they've probably forgotten about me\\ she thought miserably, slightly angry with her friends for not turning up. Glancing around the room again, she made eye contact with a lone figure leaning against the wall opposite. Seeing she'd noticed him, the figure straightened up, and strode towards her. //Oh Goddess! He's coming over! I hope he doesn't want me to dance\\ she thought nervously. The masked stranger bowed to her, and held out a gloved hand, wordlessly asking her to dance. About to refuse, a look in the stranger's eyes changed her mind. //Well, it won't hurt to have *one* dance\\ she reasoned with herself as she accepted his hand and was led onto the dance floor.   
Her dancing partners mask was less elaborate than everyone else's, she realised. It was plain silver; covering the top half of his face like the others. Messy blonde hair hung over the top of the mask, looking like the guy had just got out of bed. //Guys, will they ever understand what a hairbrush is for?\\ she grinned at the stranger, who smiled back. Laughter danced in his eyes. //Those eyes look familiar\\ she thought. //Blue Eyes...there's that cute guy in Psych...he has blue eyes. What was his name? Alan? Aaron? Aaron, that's it. It could be him. The hair's just about right too...messy and blonde\\  
The hacker blushed beneath her mask as she realised she'd been staring into his eyes for a long time. He was staring back just as intensely, a faint smile playing across his lips. She was enjoying herself now, but was still angry with her friends for not showing up.   
The music changed suddenly to a slower piece, and the couples on the dance floor moved closer. Before she could contemplate leaving, her anonymous dancing partner pulled her against him holding her in a way she couldn't escape from. Nor did she wish to, she realised, awkwardly wrapping her arms around him, surprised to feel strong muscles beneath his clothes. //Didn't realise Aaron had such great muscles\\ she thought.  
They turned in time to the music, their bodies in perfect harmony, Willow noticed a lone blonde enter the room She could tell it was Buffy, the low cut front and customised long split in her ball gown was a dead giveaway. The Slayer had spotted her, but instead of waving folded her arms, pouting, a look in her eyes that resembled jealousy. //Huh, I'll give her something to be jealous about\\ The redhead thought, suddenly feeling unusually brave. The dance was finishing. Staring up into the eyes of the dancer, she reached up and kissed him on the lips. Glancing over at Buffy, she saw her friend looking shocked, before the man pulled her into another kiss. //Oh great Rosenberg, now he's gone and got the wrong idea\\ She mentally kicked herself. She was weak in his hold, but didn't try to pull away. The response she was going to get from Buffy later would be too priceless to miss.   
The masked strangers kiss was full of emotion, it swept over her, claiming her. As his cool tongue entered her mouth, she forgot where she was and what she was doing, totally lost in the fierce passion of the kiss.  
A chiming interrupted them; pulling apart they turned to see an excited looking little man clamber up onto the stage in front of the large grandfather clock. Midnight. "Okay people," cried the man, "It's time! Take off your masks..."  
Slightly embarrassed now she was back in reality, Willow fumbled with the tie of her mask as the stranger reached to remove his.  
"...NOW!" cried the little man as the last stroke of midnight sounded.  
Everyone in the room removed their masks at the same time.  
Willow stared at her partner to shocked to speak. It wasn't Aaron she had been dancing with. Not Aaron who she'd kissed. She stared at the dancer's smirking face before being able to speak.  
"*Spike?*" 


End file.
